Category: death in custody

‘The government was accused of watering down plans for a total ban on police conferring after the deaths of suspects, after it approved new rules for officers following the most controversial cases. The home secretary, Sajid Javid, on Thursday approved revised rules first drawn up by the police watchdog in 2014, but changed after fierce opposition from the police and claims that armed officers would lay down their weapons in protest.’

‘A coroner has accused the Home Office of “manipulating statistics” relating to deaths in immigration detention after it emerged that some records relating to the death of a detainee had been deleted.’

‘The inquest into the self-inflicted death of Ellie Brabant has concluded, with the coroner finding that the lack of a clear care plan, and the decision to discharge Ellie from Section 3 of the Mental Health Act more than minimally contributed to her death. Her family were represented by Sarah Hemingway of the Garden Court Chambers Civil Liberties Team.’

‘An epidemic of synthetic drugs in prisons is “completely out of control” and the “new normal”, a prison deaths watchdog has warned, as signs emerge that the impact is spreading to immigration removal centres and bail hostels.’

‘The police watchdog passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in March 2016 concerning two Bedfordshire police constables, three sergeants and a member of police staff, suggesting they may have committed crimes over the death of Leon Briggs in 2013. In January prosecutors said no action would be taken against one of the officers, and they have now confirmed that the other five people will also face no charges.’

‘An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct into the incident in east London in July 2017 in which Rashan Charles died has found that the performance of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer who restrained Mr Charles fell short of expected standards.’

‘A jury has found that Surrey police seriously failed in its duty of care to a 33-year-old labourer who was handcuffed, placed in leg restraints and had a spit hood placed over his head in the hours before he died.’

‘The family of a young man who died while being restrained by police have branded the inquest a “farce”. Rashan Charles, 20, died in July last year after being chased into a shop in Hackney, east London, where CCTV showed an officer from the Metropolitan Police struggling with him on the floor. The jury found his death was an accident following justified use of force.’

‘The government has been accused of a “glaring failure” to act on deaths of women in custody as figures show almost 100 female inmates have died in just over a decade. More than 10 years on from the Corston Report, which outlined the need for a more holistic and integrated approach to vulnerable women in the criminal justice system, there has been “little systemic change” as women “continue to die” in custody, according to a report by charity Inquest.’

‘The police watchdog has directed the Met Police to begin gross misconduct hearings against five officers over the custody death of a mentally ill man. Sean Rigg, who had schizophrenia, died from cardiac arrest at Brixton police station in August 2008 after being restrained by officers. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said officers should face hearings over their actions.’

‘Two families bereaved by state-related deaths told MPs about their experiences at inquests last week. The House of Commons’ joint committee on human rights heard evidence from the parents of Connor Sparrowhawk, who drowned in a bath in a residential unit for people with learning disabilities, and Joseph Phuong who died following restraint by police during a mental health crisis. Jon Robins reports’

‘A man labelled the “M25 rapist” after he carried out a series of sex attacks in south-east England has died behind bars. Antoni Imiela, 63, died at HMP Wakefield on Thursday, the Prison Service said, months after he was told he had been referred for parole.’

‘The police’s decision to launch a surveillance operation against a woman whose brother had been unlawfully killed in a police station was likely to have been influenced partly by racial discrimination, a leaked report by a watchdog concluded.’

‘Police launched an unauthorised surveillance operation at short notice after they became concerned about the presence of “four large black men” at an inquest into a death in custody, a misconduct panel has heard.’

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